Table 1.

Barriers to DT in MSMEs

Categories of barriersBarriersAuthors
Economic barriersIt entails a high economic risk (B1) (Horváth and Szabó, 2019; Packmohr et al., 2023; Roecker et al., 2017)
Costs are too high (B2)(Chen et al., 2021; Horváth and Szabó, 2019; Kergroach, 2021; Nikolaou, 2024; Roecker et al., 2017)
Insufficient availability of suitable funding sources (B3)(Abel-Koch et al., 2019; Chen et al., 2021; Dörflingler et al., 2016; Evci et al., 2025; Horváth, 2024; Horváth and Szabó, 2019; Kergroach, 2021; Nikolaou, 2024; Packmohr et al., 2023; Roecker et al., 2017; Rupeika-Apoga and Petrovska, 2022; Truant et al., 2021)
Barriers related to the availability of knowledgeLack of qualified and trained staff (B4)(Abel-Koch et al., 2019; Carvalho and Matos, 2020; Chen et al., 2021; Dörflingler et al., 2016; Evci et al., 2025; Horváth and Szabó, 2019; Kergroach, 2021; Nikolaou, 2024; Packmohr et al., 2023; Roecker et al., 2017)
Lack of information and knowledge about appropriate technology (B5)(Chen et al., 2021; Packmohr et al., 2023; Rupeika-Apoga and Petrovska, 2022)
Lack of information and knowledge about the market and its needs (B6)(Abel-Koch et al., 2019; Kergroach, 2021)
Barriers related to organizational cultureInternal rigidities and apprehension about change (B7)(Abel-Koch et al., 2019; Horváth, 2024; Horváth and Szabó, 2019; Packmohr et al., 2023; Roecker et al., 2017; Rupeika-Apoga and Petrovska, 2022; Truant et al., 2021; Trubnikova and Tsagareyshvili, 2021)
It is not among the organization’s priorities (B8)(Nikolaou, 2024; Packmohr et al., 2023; Roecker et al., 2017)
Barriers related to time availabilityInability to allocate sufficient time (B9)(Horváth, 2024; Kergroach, 2021; Packmohr et al., 2023; Truant et al., 2021)
Barriers related to the markets in which they operateLack of interest of customers in new goods or services (B10)(Roecker et al., 2017)
Factors related to intellectual property (B11)(Horváth, 2024; Roecker et al., 2017)
Source(s): Authors’ own elaboration departing from the literature review

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